US State Department Ends Discriminatory Policy Targeting Same-Sex Families

by | May 27, 2021 | QUEER RVA

Under Trump, the US State Department prohibited children born outside the United States from gaining US citizenship unless they were biologically related to both parents, a policy that targeted LGBTQ families almost exclusively. Last week, Biden’s State Dept. ended that policy.

The U.S. State Dept. under Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday ended a Trump-era policy targeted directly against LGBTQ families. The policy, supported by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, mandated that children born outside the United States to parents who are U.S. citizens must be biologically related to both parents, or they would not be allowed to be granted U.S. citizenship.

The discriminatory policy ensnared only same-sex couples, and hewed to Pompeo and Trump’s anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant beliefs.

In a statement, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said the “updated interpretation and application of the INA [Immigration and Nationality Act] takes into account the realities of modern families and advances in ART [assisted reproductive technology] from when the Act was enacted in 1952.”

In one case NCRM reported on in 2019, the Pompeo State Dept. actually allowed one of two biological twins to be granted U.S. citizenship but prohibited the other from the exact same rights.

The non-profit group Immigration Equality in a statement Tuesday said the Trump-era policy had affected “many married same-sex couples,” and noted that “the Immigration and Nationality Act has never required a biological relationship for married parents. As such, every federal court that heard the issue found that the State Department’s policy was inconsistent with the statute.” 

Written by David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement. Image via NCRM.

New Civil Rights Movement

New Civil Rights Movement



more in gayrva

A Guide to The Perfect Goth Date in Richmond

For those who dare to embrace the darker side of love, writer Lauren Vincelli unveils an array of gothic date spots across the city in time for Valentine's Day. From eerie matinees at Dracula ballets to sultry nights filled with sugar baby shopping sprees and...

The Curtain Falls on Millennium C. Snow: Goodnight, Sweet Queen

In the heart of Richmond, Virginia, a star shone brightly in the drag queen sky – Dajuan Lamont Gee, known as Millennium C. Snow, a beacon of creativity and resilience. April 17, 1981, marks the birth of a true original whose journey came to a sudden halt on January...

Drag Queen Slays in Church while Protesters Annoy

Grace Baptist Church in Richmond’s quiet Windsor Farms neighborhood is proud to hold progressive events. On Saturday, the Church teamed up with Diversity Richmond and hosted Christian Drag Queen performer Flamy Grant styled after 90’s Christian rock star Amy Grant but...

Pin It on Pinterest